It's easier than ever to look like a pro, even on a budget

Like a number of other IMCP communities, the Chicago Metro Metal Consortium is a new organization, and it’s taken a bit of planning – and a lot of time – to get up and running.One important task that we recently tackled was establishing a web presence.We wanted a place to send people looking for information about us (more than we could share in a simple one-page fact sheet) and to serve a resource for our partners. To develop our website – www.chicagometrometal.org -- we used SquareSpace (of Jeff Bridges Super Bowl commercial fame). Other examples of affordable, user-friendly website builders include Strikingly, Wix, and Weebly. Each has a suite of available templates that you can select from and build out. If you’re savvier with HTML, there is no limit to customizing a template. If you’re like the rest of us, the templates are sufficient in making a professional, well-designed site and getting the basic information out – information pages, events, and news. These services also make sure your website is mobile-friendly and provide reports on visitor metrics. Looking for photos?Check out Flickr’s Creative Commons, where you can use photos without full copyright. We started with basic content and plan to build out the site as we grow. Right now, the website shares information on the cluster, our strategy and partners, IMCP eligible grant opportunities, events, and news.We also have a hidden, ‘members-only’ password-protected page with meeting agendas and minutes and a host of downloads including data on the firms in our cluster and marketing materials.Some additions we’re thinking about:including a scorecard or dashboard metric on our progress and adding a resource page for metal manufacturers in our cluster.We’re also looking to launch a newsletter to more easily link to and share content. -- Jennifer Ptak, Chicago Metro Metal Consortium, IMCPCheck out PowerPoint below for more details on Chicago Metro Metal's website!